The secret isn't the needles themselves, but how your pet reacts to them.

"This is going to make the body start healing itself by making the body produce the chemicals it needs to make the joint better," says Dr. DiNatale. "Getting muscles to relax, getting nerves to calm down. They need much less drugs, much less time on them, much less dependency."

"Sometimes we have dogs that need knee surgery, and instead we're able to acupuncture them so they don't need the knee surgery," says DiNatale.

Today, Miss Pearl is happy and healthy, because her owner says acupuncture works like magic.

"It calms her, it relaxes her," says Shields. "I believe that it heals her body better than pain medication. It does help in the end."

Doctors say that this treatment isn't for every pet. Things like blood cancer need to be treated with chemo. And for certain joint problems, surgery may be your best bet.

But, as always, talk to your bet first before making any decision.

As for the cost -- Dr. DiNatale says that each treatment costs around $100.

Depending on your pet's condition, they can come in every week or every few months.

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